Editor's Note: This post was written by Raise Hope for Congo intern Alyssa Cuddy.
In The Monuments Men, George Clooney as Frank Stokes says, "If you destroy an entire generation of people's culture, it's as if they never existed." Artists such as Meni Mbugha and Mapendo Sumuni, recognizing that same urgency today in Congo, are taking initiative to preserve a rich cultural heritage in the midst of the deadliest conflict since World War II.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), armed groups bring death and devastation to mining areas, drive whole communities off their lands, and use rape as a weapon of war. Yet, Mapendo Sumuni declares, "War is just another chapter in our lives. I am not going to let it define who I am." Sumuni opened an art gallery in Goma named Kivu Nuru which means "lights from Kivu" in order to portray the Congolese people's resilient spirit and culture.
Another individual worthy of such light, Meni Mbugha is leading the movement to preserve pygmy culture. Mining not only fuels the DRC conflict, but also increases deforestation which threatens the livelihoods of pygmy people in the Mbuti tribe of the Epulu forest. Besides hunting and gathering, the tribe carves patterns on bark to sell to tourists or to use in ceremonies. To preserve their culture and to work towards poverty alleviation, Mbugha translates the ethnic minority group's tree bark designs onto fabrics. Mbugha believes "that these indigenous people could use fabric in place of bark ... and make money with their knowledge."
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